Manager Steve Bruce won't be drawn on whether new signing Asamoah Gyan will make an immediate debut on Saturday.
Sunderland chief Steve Bruce says it's far from guaranteed that Asamoah Gyan will start for Sunderland this weekend.
The club's record £13m signing has been away on international duty with Ghana and is expected to return to the UK tomorrow ahead of meeting his new team-mates.
But Bruce is wary of throwing his new acquisition in straight away and says he will consider his striking options carefully before making a final decision.
Although Fraizer Campbell is out with a long-term injury, Danny Welbeck is in fine form and impressed as a substitute against Manchester City, pushing his claim to partner Darren Bent.
Bruce is looking forward to welcoming Gyan back to Wearside and says the striker will be closely monitored when he returns.
He explained: "I will have to weigh everything up when he comes back.
"In the past I've brought people back in quickly and then thought afterwards that maybe I should have freshened it up.
"Obviously the lad will be desperate to play. We hope he comes back in one piece. He will be assessed before the end of the week and we'll see how he is."